Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. When it comes to my Relationship with the Most High God, I live by the “no pain, no gain” Truth. Being a bold Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t just “cost” me a little; it costs me EVERYTHING. This morning I gave Him my Praise, I gave Him my Thanks, I gave Him my Requests, and then I ventured into His Word to see what He has for me…and He was Full of Surprises. He NEVER EVER ceases to amaze me. The same Words that I’ve read so many times before took on New Life today so that His Spirit could speak to my Soul! A willingness to Meet, coupled with a Heart to Please, equates to Messages that nobody else on this planet could ever get across to my Heart. Isn’t that the way it is when you Seek what He has for you, too?

It’s a Blessing to have a Life full of family and friends who have your best interests at heart, but nobody offers Advice and Direction the way God does. He sometimes uses His people to Confirm what He has in mind, but He Speaks for Himself if we just ask Him to (and IF we Believe He will). He can Heal a hurt, Remove fear, Reveal the Truth, Mend a Broken Heart, and force us to make U-turns in the blink of an eye, and He’s Ready to do all these things when we are Willing to Meet with Him with a HUMBLE Heart to Please.

There is no place for doubt in the Life of a Follower of Jesus Christ, but sometimes when we turn to people for the advice we SHOULD be getting from God, we can become consumed with doubt based on their man-made input. If we feel the need to ask family and friends for approval for what we “think” God wants us to do, then it’s time to go back to the Drawing Board and build a Stronger Relationship with Him to be SURE about what He wants. When we have the Heart to Please Him, He gets First Priority, and we’ll push against the flow of our family and friends regardless of how hard they push back, to Protect our Relationship with Him.

When we have the Order of Business right, and we have the Heart to Please, we can count on Him to send a Messenger to Help us in the Journey, and when that Messenger Speaks, we KNOW it came from God speaking through one of His Vessels, and not from the opinion of man. It’s pretty amazing how God Works the relationships out and how He uses everybody for His Purpose WHEN we’re willing to Meet with Him for Direction and we Have the Heart to Please.

It’s impossible to make everybody happy, and sometimes we find ourselves working hard to please the world around us instead of having the Heart to Please Him above all. We look for approval from everybody else, and we can easily forget what Pleases Him when we do. We strive to “keep the peace,” but until He comes back, THERE IS NO REAL PEACE. We pick and choose what part of His Character we’re willing to take on, and we kick all the difficult pieces aside for comfort. We rub elbows with lost people every day, and yet we keep our mouths shut about Hope, all because we fear what they might think of us when we do…and sometimes they die before they’re Introduced to Hope because of it.

As people of Faith, we WILL find ourselves working against the flow of the world IF we’re doing the Work of the Lord, and some people settle into “comfortable” because of it. Some people care far more about being accepted by the world than about being rejected by the Living God. When we’re diligent about Meeting with Him, and we have the Heart to Please, sitting back is never an option, and the opinion of the world dims in comparison to what He Calls each one of His Children to do. When He gives us Marching Orders He will open doors and pave the way – He’ll give us the Help that we need to do His Work – He’ll surround us with Protection – He’ll give us the Right Words and the Strength to do whatever it is He’s called us to do…if we have the Heart to Please Him, that is.

I wish I could make everybody in my world happy, but that isn’t possible. I live out my Faith with Love and Compassion, and I’ll extend Kindness to everybody He sends my way…no regard for their status in life, and no matter what they might think of me when I do. It pleases Him when I “love thy neighbor as thyself,” and it Pleases Him when I go about my Father’s Business, trying my hardest to be an outward Reflection of His Character within me. The Willingness to Meet and the Heart to Please can produce the Miraculous in the Mighty and Merciful Name of Jesus. Imagine that.

Is there any other way for a child of the Living God to live?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. This is the time of year I fight for every minute on the front porch before it gets too cold to endure. I’m acutely aware that the season is changing quickly, so I savor every minute I can get outside as if it’s the last time I’ll ever experience it. It’s that threat of losing an opportunity impacted by the seasons that keeps me chasing after the sunrise, and it’s the “threat” of losing an Opportunity Impacted by this Season of my Life that keeps me Chasing after His Will day after day. As I considered these deer…just a few of the many around the farm…they Reminded me of what Kingdom work looks like -“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”. What’s missing in this dark world isn’t the amount of “workers” – what’s missing is the Heart that Chases after His Will before it’s too late for the lost ones. Isn’t that the way you see Kingdom work too?

It’s one thing to be comforted by (and confident in) our Salvation when we Know that we know we’ve been Redeemed and that our Destiny is irreversible…BUT it’s another thing entirely to Chase after the Will of God and to Hunger for the Harvest. It’s one thing to go to a prayer closet and pray for the lost ones BUT it’s another thing entirely to Chase after the one destined for an eternity in Hell before it’s too late for them. It’s one thing to sacrifice a few dollars to feed the hungry BUT it’s another thing entirely to Chase after their eternal “needs” more than the physical needs in this life. It’s one thing to serve in a local church to keep the schedule flowing BUT it’s another thing entirely to Chase after the ones that may need to join you inside. It’s one thing to set yourself apart from the “toxic” ones so they don’t “drag you down” BUT it’s another thing entirely to Chase after the “toxic” ones to show them the way to Peace and Joy. Jesus died for all, and He’s the Answer for all.

If you want to see what the “lukewarm church” looks like, just look at the fields so ready for Harvest and how few “workers” there are Chasing after Kingdom Work. It’s when we Hunger for Truth that we Chase after it at all costs, and it’s when we Thirst to Please the Living God that we roll up our sleeves and get busy sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ… the way He instructs us ALL to do. The building we meet in is irrelevant. The music played to begin our time of worship is of little importance at all. After all, I don’t recall reading about the necessity of playing music before Jesus (or anybody else) preached the Truth, so I’m pretty sure it’s Possible to preach the Word of God without it. The coffee shop in the church lobby is just a means of making people more comfortable physically, and the “events” on the calendar are about keeping the flock entertained. Churches today are well-oiled machines, and some of them have thousands of attendees each week, and it takes LOTS of manpower just to keep the services rolling! But if you look inside at how few people are passionately Driven to Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world, it is mind-boggling. And THAT is what a lukewarm church looks like to Jesus Christ.

I’m Hungry for the Harvest and it shows as I Chase after the hurting ones…the hungry ones…the struggling ones…the sleeping ones…the lost ones…every day of my Life. Like a “watchman on a hill” I spend my time warning others about what’s to come. Some I’ll reach through Words…some I’ll reach through prayer…some I’ll reach when I help fill a practical need and I sprinkle it with Jesus Christ…some I’ll reach when they see how Hungry I am and how Peace and Joy overflow in my life even though I am living in the same chaotic world they are…BUT ALL that I reach, I’ll reach with Love. Sadly, for some, no amount of Chasing results in a Changed Heart, and no amount of Love softens them. It makes me very sad to walk away Knowing that unless something changes after I’m gone, they’ll spend eternity in the torments of Hell. Jesus Christ doesn’t want anyone to perish in Hell, and THAT’S why I Chase the lost the way I do. I’m sure that my heart doesn’t hold a candle to His, BUT I grieve over those lost ones day in and day out. My heart breaks for them, and THAT’S what keeps the fire burning in my Life.

The workers may be few, but with a plentiful Harvest I won’t be sitting back waiting to see what God will do with it all…I’ll keep Chasing His Will and doing Kingdom Work the way I’m called to do. I’ll be as bold as a lion but as gentle as a lamb as I warn them about the time drawing near. I’m acutely aware of the fact that the Season is changing quickly, so I savor every minute of doing Kingdom work as if this is my last opportunity to Share. May it never be said of me that I lived a lukewarm Life and that I didn’t even make a lame attempt at being a “worker” for Him with a “plentiful harvest” all around me. The signs are here, and the Time is near. Jesus will surprise us all when He returns, but some of us are anxiously awaiting. For the others, their time will be up when He comes back, and their Destiny will be made known. Until then, I’ll be busy Harvesting!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. This time of year the front porch would be too cold for most people, but not for me. I’ll gladly wrap myself in a blanket just for a chance to watch God wake up the world in living color, and there’s nothing like taking in a deep breath of fresh air from the front porch after a long night inside. We are blessed to have an abundance of whitetail deer around here, and it’s not uncommon to see the males fighting over the females when it’s mating time. Most of the time, the fight ends with one giving up the fight and walking away; other times, the males will get injured in the battle. I’ve read that they sometimes get their antlers locked together and that eventually, they’ll just die of starvation. Fascinating. As I met with the Author and Perfector of my Faith, my mind kept going back to the antlers and to how painful it must be to lose one in the battle. For the buck, a doe is worth fighting for, and the pain and suffering are just a small price to pay to win. Thinking about my furry friends and all they’re willing to endure for what matters the most to them led me to think about my non-furry friends – some of them are willing to Fight for the sake of Jesus Christ, and some aren’t willing to endure any pain and suffering whatsoever on His behalf. Isn’t it just like my God to use the weapons of a simple buck to drive a message home to me today?

The perilous times we read about in the Bible have begun, and we are at war. As we tune in on this side of the world, the fighting looks so destructive, and we can’t imagine what it would be like to pay the price for war on our homeland. But that’s mainly because we don’t really believe there is anything worth fighting for…especially our Faith. Somewhere along the way, we gave up in our hearts, and Complacency became our middle name. We laid down the right to talk about Jesus in the workplace for fear that we’d lose a paycheck. We laid down the sanctity of life years ago as we sat back and watched the slaughtering of our babies become legalized in America. We laid down the fight when prayer was removed from our schools. We laid down the fight when the 10 Commandments were removed from the walls. We laid down the fight for marriage, and the divorce rate in the church is now higher than that of the world as a result. We laid down the fight to stand for our children, as perverse sexuality is being thrown in their innocent faces day after day. So, if none of these things were worth the fight to us, why would Jesus Christ be worth it either? Even a common deer will fight for what is important – that doesn’t say much for the non-furry, does it?

Don’t let the Enemy fool you and don’t allow political commentators to dilute the Truth. Remember, “For our struggle is not (EVER) against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The REAL reason behind this war is that the liar from Hell has incited hate, and to “those people” the fight for Hell is worth the price…period. If you want to show your support of Israel during these perilous times, pray for them and AGAINST the real enemy. I don’t enjoy watching bloodshed across the globe, BUT one day, we’ll be witnessing Miraculous Moves of God as He Supernaturally intervenes to protect His people. Now THAT, I look forward to watching.

As for me, I Know who the REAL enemy is, and I Know how to Fight Him…and WIN. I walk boldly in the Name of Jesus Christ and I won’t be silenced even if it ends up costing me an antler. My middle name never has been, nor will it ever be “Complacency,” and if you get within shouting distance of me, I’ll do everything in my power to be sure that’s not your middle name either. I Serve a God who doesn’t need me to “defend Him” but One who commands me to Proclaim Him to the world at all costs…including a little pain and suffering. I serve a God who sent His Son to die for me, the least I can do is Live (and fight) for Him. I stand behind the GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB, and I’m already thanking Him for Victory I can’t see with my eyes yet. I Trust Him, and it shows. I Believe His Word, and it shows. Now all I have to do is stand tall – square my shoulders – hold my head up high and NEVER forget that I am a Child of the Living God…I’m Royalty…and I’ll ALWAYS be Victorious because of it! The fight is a piece of cake as long as I never forget that part, and if I lose an antler in the process…so be it.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The morning temperatures are dropping, and Fall is definitely in the air. I’ll endure the colder temperatures for as long as I can just to be able to meet with my Master outside before winter shows itself. Like ointment for my soul, I hovered in the Psalms this morning, confident that my weak Heart could be Strengthened by David’s Heart, and I was right. I was feeling as if life was “pressing down” on me, and I KNOW David felt that way plenty of times too…that is UNTIL He surrendered it all to God. So with a Sweet Reminder from David, I laid it all down too. God is always just a prayer away, and Peace is always found in Surrender. The great “I AM” is much more capable of Managing my Life than I am, and I only fool myself into thinking I’m actually in “control” when I’m not in control at all. After years in this Journey of Faith, I Know what Surrender looks like, and I Know where to go for my Nourishment. I Know how to Find my Peace in the storm, and I Know Who to run to when life is pressing down. Isn’t that the way you navigate your Journey of Faith, too?

Some days the load seems heavy, and the burdens look big, but I Serve a God who’s ready to carry the weight IF I just turn it all over to Him. Some days are laced with adversity, but I Serve a God who can bring Peace to any situation IF I just turn it all over to Him. Some days are filled with sorrow and sadness, but I Serve a God who will wipe every tear away One Day, and He is always “near to the brokenhearted.” I Serve a God who treasures every tear I’ve ever shed in my life so much that He stores them up “in a jar” because He loves me. Some days are filled with doubt and uncertainty, but I Serve a God who will “keep my path straight” and give me Wisdom any time I ask for it. His Love has no limits. All the Author and Perfector of my Faith wants from me is Surrender. How ironic that the very thing we fight so hard NOT to give the King of all kings is the Key to Peace in all circumstances.

Some days are overwhelming, but I Serve a God who isn’t overwhelmed (or surprised) by ANYTHING at all, and He is the Source of genuine and everlasting Peace. Some days feel like they’re out of control, but I Serve a God who Created the universe and holds it in the palm of His Hands how could I ever dare to forget that He Controls it all. No matter how big or how small the burdens are that we try to handle on our own, we actually inflict pain upon ourselves when we attempt to do what ONLY God can do. My God is bigger! What a great reminder straight from the Throne of my Mighty and Merciful God this morning that all I ever need to do is to Turn to His Word for Direction and to the Holy Spirit for Guidance. This is the secret to Peace and Strength, no matter what.

I’m Refreshed, I’m Strengthened, and I’m Restored this morning, despite those things that I allowed to press down on me ONLY BECAUSE I turned to my Source of Life…my Redeemer…my King…my Savior. My Life is just a vapor and I’m only here on this earth on Temporary Assignment. After that, I’ll be spending Forever at New Address that is sooooooo beautiful that no many can begin to describe it. I have an Important Race to finish and a whole lot to do before He calls me Home. People need to hear about Jesus Christ before it’s too late for them and people like me are just the ones to tell them. There’s no excuse for any of us to waste time on pity parties when life isn’t going the way we want it to because the stakes are too high. After all, souls are a whole lot more Important than any hurt we may endure in this thing called “life”.

Thank you, God. Thank you, David. All the “pressing down” I was succumbing to was self-inflicted AND from the pit of Hell intended to discourage me. But the liar from Hell doesn’t stand a chance with someone like me because my soul pants for the King like a deer pants for water, and as long as I’m chasing after Jesus, I’ll always be Victorious.

How about you?

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16

Over the years I’ve been accused of all kinds of things because of what I did and did not teach my children about “holidays.” Santa Claus didn’t fill the chimney; Jesus filled our home instead. I didn’t lie to them about where gifts came from; we gave thanks for the greatest Gift of all instead. My kids weren’t deceived into believing that a mysterious gift-giver could see if they were “naughty or nice” or that anybody other than Almighty God had control over the consequence for being “naughty.” There was no Easter Bunny mysteriously showing up with baskets of candy; we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior instead. And we definitely didn’t celebrate Halloween; we took a stand against excusing away a satanic holiday for the sake of costumes and candy instead. Were they oddballs? Not on your life! Were they deprived? Never! They learned to stand with Jesus Christ in all things, and they’re still standing strong today! The world might think that’s odd, but Christians sure shouldn’t.

My kids have incredible childhood memories, and they’d tell you they didn’t miss a thing. Our holidays didn’t lack for anything, and they’ve eaten enough treats to sink the Titanic. They LOVED our holidays, and they’re carrying on countless family traditions today. But most of all, they’re making sure to bring Jesus into WHO they are and EVERYTHING they do as they raise up the next godly generation…as it is written…as it should be.

I have plenty of regrets about little things I made a big deal about as I was raising my children, but refusing to whitewash our belief system in the name of fun isn’t one of them…EVEN THOUGH I’ve been accused of being uptight, a party pooper, and a parent who “denied” her children lots of “fun” because of it. It doesn’t matter what the world thinks of me – it only matters what God thinks of me, and in that area of my life, I KNOW He is pleased!

As this world gets darker and the spiritual war rages in the heavens, we (Christians) need to decide if we’ll stand FOR HIM in all things, or if we’ll continue to whitewash the truth for the sake of fun. Our kids won’t hear the truth in schools. They won’t (necessarily) hear the truth from their friends. Many of them won’t even hear the truth from their church leaders! They need to hear the truth from their parents…the ones who have been given the responsibility to RAISE UP a godly generation. If you want your kids to stand tall at such a time as this, it’s time to stop entertaining evil and take a stand for the only Hope we have. It’s time to walk the talk even if it hurts!

No doubt some of you have already decorated for Halloween, and you’re ready to entertain evil in just a few days, whether you accept that’s what you’re doing or not. Some of you might attempt to convince me that your role in these things is innocent…but it’s not me you need to convince. There’s not a doubt in my mind that if you were bold enough to approach the Throne of God to inquire about your participation in such things and how He feels about diluting the truth you share with your children all in the name of “innocent fun” – He’ll set you straight faster than you can say “Amen!”

In the meantime, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Living God outside where the air was cool, and the fog was thick, and I watched the Hand of God at work over this old farm. This time of year we can expect to see fog as the cool air meets with the warm ground, but I never get tired of watching the fog lift off the farm. Sometimes it remains low to the ground until it dissipates, and sometimes the fog covers the entire farm from low to the ground to high up in the sky…which was the case this morning. As I sat there, not only could I see the fog, but I could feel it all around me too, and it reminded me of the Glory of God and what it will be like to see one day…and I will. Some people have closed their minds to the thought that God can still manifest today the way He did in the Bible, but not me. I Believe in the Supernatural work of my Supernatural God. Isn’t that what your Journey of Faith looks like too?

Sometimes I wonder how it came to be that people decided to put God in a box. To some, the Bible is just a history book and all the things they read about are just entertaining things of the past…and not for today. If the Glory of God showed up they’d excuse Him away the same as they do for so many other miraculous things right before their very eyes. Is it that His Supernatural Works scare them because they can’t explain Him, or is there a conflict between the Supernatural and the intellectual faith that so many hang their hat on today? Either way, some have wiped away all the Supernatural works of God as if He’s a past-tense God even though the Word says that He’s the “same today, yesterday, and forevermore.” It’s interesting (and sad) that some people have been taught NOT to believe in the Power of God at all, and if that’s the case, they might as well “worship” a statue. My God IS the same today, yesterday, and forevermore, and I long to see His Glory…and I will. Who in the world would want to believe in a powerless God, and why would they want Him in a box?

It’s painful for me to see so many “regular church attendees” walking around IN the fog when I know that all they need is a genuine Relationship with Jesus Christ and more time in His Word. They scoff at the Supernatural just the way the Bible says they will and they settle into teaching that tickles their ears because they hunger to be entertained. Maybe they have a Bible app on their phone, but it’s rarely opened or read outside of the church. Sometimes they might reach for a copy of the Bible in the pew ahead, but they can rarely find the verse in time to read along because they aren’t familiar yet. Jesus really does “love the little children,” but He expects them to grow up! He expects His Children to learn and grow every day. He expects His Children to hunger to be in His Presence every day. He expects His Children to be so familiar with Him that they recognize the voice of their Shepherd without hesitation or doubt. He expects His Children to know His Word like the back of their hands, and He expects His Children to obey the “rules”. That’s what growing up (or maturing in Faith) looks like, and it’s the ONLY way to be Confident and Capable when the fog shows up.

If it’s foggy today, and that’s okay – I can see the beauty even with my eyes closed. If my Bible were taken from me today, I’d be very sad because I love it so much, and I love to spend Time in it with Him every day…But I wouldn’t be lost, and I wouldn’t stumble around in a fog. I’ll always have the Holy Spirit to guide me, and the Holy Spirit will illuminate the Words when I’m struggling if I ask Him to. My Heart knows what His Word says because I Know Him. I’m a grown-up Christian still in the works, so I Work on getting stronger and better every day. I appreciate the fog, but I’ll never be walking in it…church or no church…Bible or no bible…I’ll always have His Spirit, and I’ll always have His Word embedded in my Heart. I’ve put in the Time and effort to Mature.

How about you?